Mari's outlaw
by Flutterby89
Summary: When the war broke out Mari lost everything including her five greatest friends the cole and younger boys. But when the boys start thier own war against the railroad Mari finds that being a damesel in distress isn't as good in real life CHAPTER 11 and 12
1. Reunited at the party

Mari's Outlaw 

For a long time Marietta Winslow, Mari to her friends, was never sure about what the feeling she had for Jim was. She cared for him like he was her brother; they were always playing together along with Jesse and Frank James and Jim's brothers Cole and Bob Younger. They were cousins the James' and Youngers. Mari was the only girl but she wore pants and shirts like the boys and once or twice when her hair was tucked under her hat, she had been mistaken for a boy. Jim and Mari were the same age and Jesse four years older, the others were either the same age or older so when the war broke out and they went off to fight. Jim and Mari were only eleven at the time and they were left on their own. They rode out to the hill with the boys, and watched as they disappeared into the distance, not knowing whether they would ever see them again. That's when the games stopped and Mari had to be "straightened out" as her mother said. She was moulded into a "fine young woman" and Jim and Mari hardly spoke but the feeling was still there.

A few months past after the war started and Mari missed the games she'd played with the boys. The bond with Jim weakened.

The war raged for four years and the boys returned home, only to find that there was another war to be fought. The railway was heading west to open up the frontier and the owners wanted the farmland in Liberty. Both the James' and the Youngers turned down the money for their farms. Then one night the railway tried to persuade the Youngers again and it ended in disaster. Cole shot two of the railway men and was sentenced to be hanged the next day.

Jesse and the other boys freed him and caused the rest of the farmers to refuse to sell their land. Cole hid up in the woods until the army left town and it was safe for him to return. On the night he returned there was a huge party up at the Younger house and everyone was invited.

"But ma I really wanna go." Mari begged on the night of the party.

"NO I will not have a daughter of mine associating with an outlaw any more."

"Ma their not all outlaws."

"My word is final and I swear if you even think of sneaking out of this house to go I'll see to it you never leave this house without me or your father again."

"You evil woman" Mari yelled and the screamed as her mother grabbed her hair and dragged her up the stairs.

"How dare you? Get in there and stay there." Her mother shouted as she slammed Mari's bedroom door shut. For a few moments Mari sat staring at the door until she had suppressed the temptation to kick the door with all her might. She grabbed her best dress and changed into it before stuffing some of her other dresses and clothes under her sheets and arranging them roughly to look like a body. She sat at the end of her bed and waited for twilight to come before she opened her window and slowly climbed out and closing her curtains and the window behind her. She shuffled across the rook to the side of the house and slowly lowered herself down and jumped down between the cart and the wall. She smiled to herself and ran off towards the Younger house. When she arrived she could see that Jesse and Zee Mims were already dancing and Bob and Cole were happily dancing with two girls from town. A smile spread across Mari's house as ran down the hill to the party.

"Mari" Frank shouted. "Oh my god"

"Frank" Mari smiled as her dear friend hugged her tight.

"God have I missed you and the boys" She sighed.

"Well you had Jim" Frank smiled.

"Yeh well my ma decided I wasn't to speak to him anymore."

"Well your ma ain't here tonight. HEY JIM" Frank yelled. Jim was across the field with Jesse, Zee and two other girls, one of whom had a tight grip on his arm. He turned to see who had called him when he spotted Mari.

"MARI" He shouted running to her. Mari laughed and ran to him. Jim stopped.

"Wait your ma ain't here is she?" He asked and Mari shook her head. "Good" Jim replied and lifted her up and spun her around. That night as they all sang and danced railway men rode past the farm and blew up the house and then went onto Jesse and Frank's house and blew their house up too, killing their dear mother.

That was the last straw. Jesse and Cole started up the James-Younger gang and began stealing the railway money, blowing up tracks, and causing havoc.

A year passed and then the gang went to pull their biggest stunt yet, stealing one hundred thousand dollars from a bank near Liberty. Mari had just turned sixteen and was there with her father to meet a man named Alan Pinkerton. He was in charge of the Pinkerton detectives and was incredibly rich and so naturally as her father wanted her married, he wanted Mari to marry someone rich like Mr Pinkerton. That's when it all started. The gang had fallen into a trap and they were in trouble until Jesse helped them get away. Mari was watching them ride off when she spotted a gunman aiming his rifle at them, she recognised him as one of the Pinkerton's men.

"NO." Mari screamed and ran at him knocking him to the ground. His gun flew from his hand and he grabbed a pistol from his waist. He scrambled up from the floor aiming it up at her and she froze.

"Now Missy you just get out my way or I'll kill you too." He grunted.

"Not likely." Mari said as her knee hit his stomach. She grabbed the pistol and hit him in the head with the handle. He fell to the ground unconscious and she stood in amazement at what she'd done. Until she saw three men running at her with more guns. Mari grabbed the nearest horse and pulled myself onto its back. She galloped off in the same direction as Jesse and the gang. She heard people shouting to shoot her and she felt fear run through her veins paralyzing her body as it went. She reached a nearby town at dusk and she tied up my stolen horse outside the salon. Mari wandered in and found the boys sitting round a table playing poker. Jesse and Jim were talking by the bar.

"What are you doing here?" Jesse asked as he came over with Jim.

"Long story. But to cut it short, one of Pinkerton's men was 'bout to shoot you. I damn 'near got myself shot stopping him." Mari said.

"Well ain't that swell; now the best damn damsel in distress we had is back with the gang." Cole smirked.

"Well Mari this is our good friend Tom, he fought in the war with us." Jesse said pointing to the stranger across the table from Mari.

"Hey there." Mari smiled.

"So, whatcha bin doin since we last saw ya' little lady." Bob asked.

"I got in deep trouble for sneaking out to your party and then my ma carried on "straightening me out." Mari sighed.

"What?" Jim said confused.

"I got turned into a "proper lady." She sighed.

"A proper lady." Bob said in a high pitched voice. "Well Mam may I have this dance." He stood up and bowed.

"Well good sir I must thank you for saving me for the temptation these men were placing before me. Every one knows a lady doesn't play cards." Mari said standing up and curtsied to Bob.

"Yeh well, you ain't no lady." Frank smirked, throwing his card down.

"I am I was taught by my mother."

"Yeh but your ma ain't no lady" Cole joked and they all laughed.

"So you being a real woman I take it you've been with a man." Frank said calmly as he looked at Mari from under his hat. She felt her checks burning as the boys stared at her. Mari glanced at Jim and he was staring too, with despair in his eyes.

"There are some things that have to wait until after a marriage." She said and saw hope refill Jim's eyes.

"Now gentlemen, are you ready to your money were your mouth is." Mari said settling back at the table. She won eighty dollars and then decided to go to bed.

"Well boys I'm done, I'll get us some rooms for the night." She said disappearing to the bar.

Within an hour Mari was sat snuggled up on the floor by the fire in my room and watched the flames dancing across the logs and was lost in trance until a knock at the door awoke me from it.

"Come in." She said sitting up straight. Jim popped his head round the door. "Hey." She smiled.

"Hey." He said nervously as he closed the door.

"What's up?"

"The boys are all asleep and I couldn't … so I thought I'd see if you were awake." He smiled.

"Well have a seat."

"Thanks." He said settling down beside Mari on the threadbare rug, he shivered and she pulled the blanket round the two of them.

"So you're all set to get married then." Jim sighed.

"Well my father thinks so. I'd much rather carry on as I am."

"Why?"

"Well I want to marry for love but my father wants me to marry someone rich, like Pinkerton."

"Pinkerton." Jim jumped. Mari nodded.

"That's why we were in town today; he wanted me to meet him."

"You're not going to though are you?" He stuttered.

"No of course not"

"Mari can I ask you a question?"

"Course you can."

"Why did you stop talking to me when the war started?"

"Jim, I had no choice my mother made me."

"But you were one of the gang."

"There were only two of us left Jim it wasn't the same."

"You didn't give it chance."

"Things had to change Jim and they have."

"No you've changed." He shouted jumping up.

"Jim."

"I thought we were friends, I thought you were one of us. But you're just another stuck up tart." Mari's hand caught his cheek and tears filled both their eyes.

"I'm so sorry." She gasped.

"Yeh so am I. Sorry I thought that you were the same girl." Jim sighed as he turned to leave and Mari grabbed his arm.

"I am the same girl Jim. I'm still one of the gang. Why else would I be here? Why else would I have stopped that guy with the gun?"

"I dunno, I just …"

"Just what?"

"I dunno I just thought that it was because … because you love Jesse."

"Jesse."

"What?"

"You think I love Jesse."

"Well every one else seems to."

"Well I'm not everyone else am I?" Jim just stared at her. "Who did I dance with at the party, you, who did I share my secrets with as a child, you, who did I always pick as my hero in the games we played. You"

"True."

"Jim I didn't stop that guy because of Jesse or Cole. Or any of the others, I stopped him because of you."

"Me." Jim muttered, Mari nodded. "But why?"

"Because I love you Jimmy Younger."

"Really" Mari nodded. "I love you too." He replied grinning as she stared into his eyes and his lips touched hers ever so softly. And for those few seconds time froze. Everything else disappeared and all that mattered to them was the other. He pulled back, and stared at her. She stroked his face and slipped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him towards her again. His hands gripped her waist and Mari stumbled on the back of her dress and they fell onto the bed. Her hands fumbled with the buttons on his shirt and the straps from his pants. His hands struggled blindly with the ribbon on her dress and soon his hands were caressing her naked skin. He kicked off his pants and pulled the bed sheets over the two of them. Her hands stroked his chest and his fingertips danced over her hips.


	2. the mornin after

The next morning Mari awoke with Jimmy asleep next to her. She slipped out from under his arm and pulled on her dress. She dropped her shoe and Jimmy woke up.

"Ummm. Mari" He moaned as he stretched his arms.

"Good morning." She smiled as she sat beside him on the bed.

"It sure is." Jimmy half smiling, half yawning. "Are you coming with us then?"

"I have to; I can hardly go back now."

"That's true. So what do we tell the others?"

"We don't tell them. I can't after what I said last night about marriage."

"Oh yeh," He paused. "Oh well, never mind it'll be our little secret." He smiled.

"You should be getting up the Bob and Cole will be wondering where you are." There was a knock at the door and Jim and Mari both jumped.

"Mari have you seen Jim? Bob said he left their room last night and didn't come back." Jesse called.

"Right on queue." Mari whispered.

"What do we do?" Jimmy asked.

"You stay here; I'll get rid of him." Mari whispered and hurried to the door, she opened it slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"Jim's missing."

"Oh I saw him this morning he went to the check the horses."

"Check the horses, since when do we check the horses?"

"Well it was really early and he said he couldn't sleep."

"How do you know?"

"I… I … I saw him, when I went to get a… a… a glass of water and I bumped into him and… and he told me." Mari stuttered.

"He's with you isn't he?" Jesse grinned. "You're blushing he is." And she opened the door a bit more to let Jesse in.

"Hey there Jim" Jesse smiled as I closed the door.

"Hey Jesse" Jimmy said pulling on his boots and jacket.

"So what happened here I wonder?"

"Jesse please don't tell the others." Mari said as she slipped on her shoes.

"I won't." Jesse grinned and stared at her.

"What?"

"You're not planning to ride in that dress are you?"

"Well I didn't really have time to grab something more suitable."

"Stay here I'll get ya some pants and a shirt from across the street."

"Thanks Jesse." She smiled, and he left the room. Jim dressed and returned to his room, and soon after he'd left Jesse returned to Mari's room with a shirt, braces, pants, and a jacket and hat.

"Jesse, you didn't have to get me all this." Mari gasped as Jesse threw the clothes onto the bed.

"Yeh well, you gotta blend in." Jesse smiled. "I'll leave ya to get dressed. We're leaving in fifteen minutes. I'll see ya downstairs."

"Thanks Jesse."

"No worries."

Fifteen minutes later the James-Younger gang were sitting in the salon.

"Jesse what the hell are we waiting for?" Cole asked finishing off his whiskey.

"Mari's coming with us." Jesse muttered. Cole spat out his drink.

"What?" He gasped.

"Mari's coming with us."

"When did you decide this?" Frank said.

"Only this morning. She can't go back to liberty they'll throw her in jail or hang her."

"But she's a woman." Gasped Tom.

"Yeh and one of the best fighters we ever had." Jesse said angrily.

"But she's been straightened out Jesse, she can't fight any more?" Bob sighed.

"Who can't fight?" A voice said from behind them. The boys turned to see a stranger standing at the bottom of the stairs. His hat was down over his face and his pants were slightly too long.

"No one you know boy." Bob said politely.

"Boy" Smiled the stranger. "Now it's been a long time since I was mistaken for a boy."

"Who are you?" Cole shouted.

"Only the best damn damsel in distress you ever had." Jesse and Jim smiled.

"Mari." Frank gasped.

"The one and only." She smiled and whiped of her hat. Jesse stood up.

"How's the fit?" he smiled.

"A bit long in the leg but they'll do. Thanks Jesse."

"No worries Mari. Now come on boys we'd best get going."


	3. Back with the gang

As the gang rode east to their next target Mari felt herself forgetting all about the five miserable years she'd spent without the boys because of the war and them starting the gang. She felt like she was eleven years old again riding with her friends and planning the next day.

"MARI, MARI." Bob shouted. Mari jumped out of her daydream and found her horse at a halt with the boys ahead and staring around at her.

"What's up?" Jesse said.

"Nothing." Mari replied.

"Right any way Mari you stay outside with the horses and keep watch." Cole said as Mari caught up with them.

"Wait a minute, Cole I can shot just as well as you maybe even better." Mari butted in.

"God damn it Mari you haven't shot a gun since you was eleven years old what makes you think your coming in that bank with us without some practise."

"Right" Mari said jumping down form her horse. "Cole stand over there and hold this out." She commanded holding out a stick to Cole. Reluctantly Cole did so and held his breath as Mari raised her gun. The others sat watching as the bullet soared through the air and blasted the stick to pieces.

"Practise enough for you." Mari smiled as Cole opened his eyes and threw the remains of the stick to the ground.

"Can't argue with that." Bob smiled.

"Yeh I can Mari. You are staying with the horses just for this one."

"But Cole."

"But nothing Mari you either wait outside or you can go home."

"Fine" Mari said climbing back on her horse.

Mari drifted back into her day dream until they reached the bank.

"Ok Boys, let's go. Mari only come in if you see Pinkerton's men or if something's wrong got it." Mari just nodded and sat scanning the streets for any danger. There wasn't a Pinkerton detective in sight and no army troops, Mari sighed. She didn't want the gang to get in trouble but she wished something would happen to liven it up a bit. The boys returned and they galloped off and found a tumbled down house to hide out in. Whilst the boys counted the money Mari crept off into the woods. She weaved her way I between the trees until she reached a small clearing and slumped down at the bottom of a nearby tree.

Maybe this wasn't the lifestyle she thought it was going to be. A stick snapped and she jumped. In the dim light she saw a figure moving towards her. Her heart raced and she scrambled to her feet and hid behind the tree. She stood in the darkness listening to the sound of the footsteps coming closer with her hand gripping the handle of her gun.

"Shit." she thought. "I can't lead them back to the boys but I can't go too far from the camp." She peered round the tree and saw the figure coming through the bushes in the clearing near the tree she was hiding behind.

"Mari." the voice whispered. "It's me Jim." Mari sighed with relief and stepped out from behind the tree.

"Why were you hiding?" Jim asked looking confused.

"I didn't know who you where." Mari smiled.

"Oh." Jim smiled. "So why are you up here any way?"

"I wanted some time to myself." Mari sighed.

"Why?"

"What's with all the questions?" Mari snapped.

"Hey I was just asking ok."

"Sorry, I just…" Mari sighed and turned her back to Jim.

"Come here." Jim said comfortingly as he walked over and put his arms around Mari's waist. "Just what?" He said kissing her cheek.

"It's just that I thought being back with the gang would be like it used to be, but it's not."

"I know." Jim whispered.

"I thought it would be so exciting." Mari turned to face Jim and her worries and doubts slipped away.

"Never mind." She whispered and placed her head and Jim's shoulder. "It's gone now."

"Good, now are you gonna come and have something to eat?" Mari just nodded and took Jim's hand as he led the way back to the camp. No one noticed them returning to camp and as the fire started to die down Mari curled up under a shabby blanket in the corner. Soon the sound of Frank's snoring filled the misty air and she knew the others were all asleep too.

Mari lay awake staring up at the midnight sky. The stars smiled down and winked at her. She sighed and rolled onto her side and drifted into a deep sleep.

Jim woke up first the next morning and poured some water over his head and wiped his face with his blanket. He looked around the camp at the sleeping boys and smiled. This is where he belonged, with his family and the love of his life. He glanced over at Mari as she sat up yawning and wiping the dust of her shirt. Jim wandered over and sat down beside her.

"Sleep well?" He smiled putting his arm around her. Mari yawned again and nodded.

"So what are we doing today?" She asked as she snuggled up to Jim.

"Nothing really, Bob and Tom will probably go and get us some food and then we'll probably just practise shooting and plan the next stop."

And that's what they did; the boys sat planning the next stop whilst Mari wandered off into the small woods again. Over the next few days she wanted to be on her own ore and more and she nearly always felt sick or dizzy.

A few days later it was Mari's turn to go and get food from a nearby town. As she left the store she felt her stomach lurch and she ran around the side of the building and threw up. Her head was spinning and she tried to reach the street again hoping to get back to the store but she collapsed in front of the steps.

"Good god" someone shouted as Mari was pulled to her feet by a stranger. He sat her on a nearby bench and handed her his water bottle.

"Thank you." Mari muttered as she drained the bottle.

"Are you alright to get home?" the man asked and Mari froze.

"Err… yes I should be thank you. But I think I should see a doctor." She passed the bottle back to the man and stumbled to the doctor's office across the street to the store. She entered the office and found it empty except for the doctor sitting in a room to the left. She wandered in and sat quietly until the doctor saw her and called her through. She sat for a few moments staring at her feet until the doctor asked her of her symptoms. Mari explained her need to be alone and the vomiting to the doctor

"Well my dear," He sighed. "There seems to only be one explanation for your symptoms. You're pregnant."


	4. surpirses

"Pregnant." Mari gasped. The doctor nodded and Mari ran from the building and to her horse. She rode back to the camp and they ate dinner and Mari went straight to bed. The next day after lunch she disappeared off on her own again after dinner and wandered up to the top of a nearby bank and sat behind a fallen down tree. She sat there for hours just staring out onto the distant horizon. It was almost completely dark when she wandered back down to camp and found Tom was bandaging Frank's hand. There were bits of firewood scattered all over the camp and the odd forgotten gun.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Someone followed us from the town, ran back and got Pinkerton's men and well you can see. I'm glad you weren't here?" Tom asked.

"Where's Jim?" Mari said as she started picking up the firewood from around the camp.

"They caught Jim and Jesse." Frank sighed. Mari spun round.

"No." She gasped her eyes filling with tears. "But … he can't be … I mean he's … I'm… oh god." She sobbed and ran from the camp.

"I'll get her" Cole said running after Mari.

"MARI" He called. "Mari wait" He said grabbing her arm.

"We have to save him Cole, we have to"

"Look they'll be hundreds of soldiers there tomorrow we don't stand a chance against them, Jesse wouldn't want us to get caught too."

"Cole you don't understand, you have to get him back please Cole I'm begging you just get Jim back." Mari was shaking

"Hey shhhh" Cole whispered hugging the terrified girl.

"Cole please get him back"

"There's something you're hiding form us isn't there?" Cole said letting go of Mari when she nodded.

"I collapsed in town so I went to see a doctor as fast as I could and he said … that I'm … I'm pregnant."

"Who's the father?" Cole asked. Mari looked up at him.

"You have to swear not to tell the others." She whispered.

Cole nodded. "The night I joined the gang Jim and I."

"Jim's the father?" Cole gasped. Mari nodded.

"Please get him back Cole, I can't do this without him."

"I'll get him back if you promise me one thing."

"Anything"

"You'll let us go and get them. You need to keep your strength up. Promise me."

"I promise" Mari sobbed.

"Right." Cole said marching back to camp.

"Boys we're gonna pull our biggest trick yet. We're gonna bust Jesse and Jim outta jail."

"Cole you said it yourself that place will be swarming with Pinkerton detectives." Bob shouted.

"And there's nothing I love more than shooting those sons of bitches." Cole smiled. "Now listen we're gonna need to get them away from the jail"

"But how" Frank sighed.

"I know." Mari smiled. "Cole your gonna have to let me help, only a little but your still need me."

"What did you have in mind Mari?" Frank said looking confused.

"One of our little games from when we were kids the old damsel in distress card."

"Of course" Bob smiled.

**_AN: _I know this is a short chapter but I didn't want to make it drag on too much. Hope you like it; don't forget to send me your review.**


	5. the daring rescue

"HELP, HELP" Mari screamed as she ran down the street towards Pinkerton's office.

She ran up the steps towards the door. It was the next day and Jesse and Jim were due to be hung in three hours time.

"Where do you think your going?" Said one of the men at the door.

"Please I must see Mr Pinkerton; I've spotted the James- Younger gang."

"Inside" The man grunted and pushed Mari through the door.

"What is the meaning of this rude entry?" Pinkerton shouted as Mari turned to see him.

"This young lady reckons she seen the James-Younger gang." The man said as he left."

"Really" said Pinkerton sarcastically.

"I swear to god sir I've seen them, they attacked my husband and I in the woods." (WELL SHE HAD SEEN THEM)

"You're sure it was them."

"Definitely they shot my husband sir. They shot him dead."

"Tell me what happened and quickly."

"Well, we were walking in the woods and he said he heard someone and made me hide in the bushes. Next thing I knew they came out of no where screaming about revenge, and then they asked him where our house was. One of 'em said they was gonna hide there and they shot him sir, they shot my husband, my Harry." Mari wept hysterically into her hands.

"Where is your house Mam"

"It's just outta town past the water tower."

"I know it." Pinkerton said smiling and ushering Mari towards the door.

"Oh no sir please don't make me leave, please let me stay here, I feel safer."

"Very well, you there stay here with this young lady and don't let her out of your sight" he shouted at the guard.

"Yes sir." The man said quietly and with that Pinkerton left. Mari sat and smiled to herself.

"I'm so glad I'm safely here with you." She smiled at the guard. He wasn't much older than her maybe nineteen or twenty. He straightened his jacket nervously and smiled politely.

"I bet you have all types of criminals in here don't you?" Mari sighed wandering across to the guards. "What are they for?" she asked sweetly pointing at the guard's keys.

"The cells" he replied bluntly.

"You don't say a lot do you? Don't worry I used to be ever so shy, till my Harry came along? Completely changed me my Harry did. My dear, dear Harry" Mari turned and smiled as she pretended to cry and fell to her knees. "Oh my Harry how will I live without him?"

"Here" the guard sighed and handed her his handkerchief.

"Thank you" Mari sobbed and wiped her eyes.

"The James-Younger will be caught and prosecuted for their treason." Mari pulled herself onto a nearby chair and slipped her hand behind her back and pulled out her gun from inside her boot. "Jesse James will be the first to go and then that Jim Younger. From what I've heard Jim Younger won't be missed."

"What did you say 'bout my Jim?" Mari shouted as she jumped to her feet and aimed the gun at the guard.

"I … I…"

"Give me your keys" Mari commanded, the guard fumbled with the keys and held them out to Mari. She kept the gun on him and reached out for the keys.

"Where are they? Jesse and Jim" she asked.

"Row four and six the two end cells." The guard stuttered.

"Thank you" Mari smiled "Now after you" She said opening the door to the cells with her left hand. "Go on go" She said and the guard went through the door.

"Stop" Mari said calmly. "Here open that door" se said handing him the keys. The guard did so with trembling hands and handed the keys back to Mari.

"In you go" She smiled, and locked the door behind the guard. "You've been most helpful." She lowered her gun and headed off down to row four. In row four she found Jesse doing press ups.

"Keeping yourself in shape I see." She smiled; Jesse didn't look up from the floor.

"Well I wanna be in shape for our great escape." He sighed standing up she saw his arms and feet were chained.

"Marietta Winslow what in god's name are you doing here?"

"Well fine, I'll just leave you here then." Mari smiled and turned to leave.

"Hey I'm kidding, get me outta here." Jesse laughed. Mari opened the door and unlocked the chains on Jesse's hands and feet.

"I don't know what happened to Jim, I tried callin' to him but he didn't answer."

"He's right down the end." Mari said running off to find her lover.

"JIM, JIM." She called, but no reply came. She reached row six and ran to the end cell. She couldn't see any one there but then in the dim light she saw Jim sprawled in the floor, with a small pool of blood around his head.

"No" Mari gasped and fumbled with the lock. She eventually got the door open and ran to Jim.

"Jim" She whispered. "It's Mari, can you hear me, wake up, we've got to go." She started panicking, and then Jesse appeared in the doorway. Jim groaned, and Mari breathed a sigh of relief.

"Jesse you'll have to carry him." Jesse nodded and picked up his unconscious friend. He followed Mari out to Pinkerton's office and through the back door where the others were waiting.

"You're early" Mari smiled as she and Jesse lifted Jim up in front of Bob on his horse. As they did Jim woke up and looked around in shock.

"Well good morning little brother" Bob smiled. "Nice of you to join us"

"Mari, jump up with me." Cole said holding out his hand

"Thanks" Mari smiled and pulled herself up. Jesse pulled himself on behind Frank and the gang set off to the next town to hide and let Jim rest.

"Well I think he'll be alright after a few days rest." The doctor said to Mari as he left Jim's room at the hotel in the next town. Jesse and the others came in.

Mari stayed and sat by the window reading a little book of poetry. She sat there for an hour or so when Jim stirred and she dropped her book and rushed over.

"How you feelin'?" She smiled.

"Mari" Jim mumbled.

"I'm here."

"Am I in heaven?" Jim said staring around.

"No your still here"

"Figures"

"Why?"

"Well I doubt you get headaches like this in heaven" Jim said with a weak laugh. "Where are we?" he asked.

"I don't know exactly" Mari sighed. "But we're safe here" Mari smiled and climbed up on the bed beside Jim.

"Why did you think you were dead?" Mari asked.

"Well if I was in heaven you'd be the only angel for a million miles." Jim sighed as he drifted back to sleep. Mari smiled and fell asleep herself.

"Hey sleepy heads, wake up" Cole said shaking both Jim and Mari.

"Breakfast is served." He smiled as a maid placed a tray on Jim's lap. It had two bowls of porridge and a glass of water on it.

"Best money can buy." Cole smiled. "Oh I almost forgot, boys." Jesse, Frank, Bob and Tom came in and Jesse stepped forward.

"Special occasion" Jesse smiled as he handed Jim a bottle of whiskey.

"Thanks guys" Jim smiled. "I think I'll have to get hurt more often."

"You dare. You scared me half to death." Mari said gently punching Jim's arm.

"Hey" Jim laughed.

"Do I detect a little romance in the air?" Bob smiled. Jim looked at Mari.

"You told them." He said looking confused.

"No I didn't, Jesse you …" Jesse shook his head. "Then you told them Cole."

"Not me." He laughed.

"Ahhh, so I'm right there is some romance here. Well Jesse I'm afraid you and Zee are no longer the best couple, that prize is going to these two love birds. I knew something had happened while we were away." Bob sighed.

"It wasn't why you were away." Jim interrupted. "It's always been there, I've always loved Mari." Mari blushed. "And it only really started when she joined the gang."

"Well Jesse I'm sure you and Jim will be wondering how we managed to rescue you without being so rudely disturbed by those Pinkerton men." Frank smiled.

"As a matter of fact I was" Jesse smiled as he and Frank sat themselves down into the chairs by the window.

"Well I think we should let Mari do the honours as it was mostly her idea." Cole smiled.

"Well I'm no good at telling stories I say Bob should tell it as he's the best."

"Alrighty then" Bob said taking off his hat. Jesse and Jim listened carefully as Bob told them of Mari's plan and of what happened up at the farm.


	6. the secrets out

"So Cole and I, very politely, ask these good people if they would be so kind as to do us one small favour and so the little girl, bless her she was beautiful, would tell them we were hiding in the barn. So we go hide in the barn and as those dumb detectives come in we jump down shot the bastards." Mari and Jim had just finished their porridge and were sat listening.

"What about Pinkerton?" Jesse asked.

"I saw him outside but he wasn't stupid enough to come in the barn like the others. But what I wanna know is what happened with Mari and Pinkerton?" Cole said looking over at Mari.

"He left to find you and told a guard to stay with me and I just threatened him with a gun and let you out. That's all there is too it." Mari sighed.

"Well like I said before, the best damn damsel in distress we ever had is back where she belongs." Cole shouted.

"Trust me Jesse we wouldn't have been able to rescue her if it wasn't for her." Bob smiled.

"Yeh well I think we should leave those two alone as I know Mari has to tell Jim something." Cole said ushering the others out the room.

"Mari what's he talking about?" Jims said looking puzzled.

"It's nothing important." Mari sighed moving the tray from breakfast to the table by the window.

"Mari come here and tell me." Jim sighed; Mari sat down on the bed and sighed.

"I'm pregnant." She mumbled.

"So I can hear" Jim laughed.

"I'm pregnant Jim, and you're the father." She said and looked over at Jim. He just sat there gob smacked and unable to speak.

"Well … um … I don't know what to say." He mumbled.

"What are we going to do?" Mari sighed.

"Well for now you're going to stay here with me and rest."

"Fine by me" Mari smiled and cuddled up on the bed with Jim. Then Mari heard whispering at the door and tip toed over. She pulled open the door and there in door way were the four other boys.

"So any way boys as I said you can clearly see that this door is pine because of how the wood is coloured." Bob said pointing to the door.

"Ahhh" the others sighed.

"Passing on your knowledge are we Bob?" Mari smiled.

"Of course Mari, you didn't think we'd be listening to your private conversation do you?" Cole smiled.

"No of course not Cole" Mari sighed.

"So what you gonna call the baby." Bob smiled.

"Oh so you did hear then?" Mari laughed.

"So we were listening, what you gonna do?" Cole smirked

"I'll blow your head off." Mari snarled, pulling out her gun. The four boys by the door and Jim froze with confusion written across their faces, was Mari kidding or being serious, they didn't want to find out.

"BOO" Mari shouted and the four boys by the door jumped. Mari and Jim laughed.

**(AN: another short chapter but I'm running low on ideas"**


	7. The New Home

AN: Ok I've skipped a few months, Mari and Jim were married and Mari left the gang two months after the wedding and set up a house for her and Jim in a small town not far Liberty, called Jamestown. Six more months passed and Mari is due to have the baby in three weeks time. Jim is about to leave the gang as well and come home to help raise his child.

Chapter 7: Home Sweet Home.

The night air was cold and the moon was so bright that Mari could see right out over the hills as she sat on the veranda late one winter night.

She sighed to herself as she gently rubbed her sore stomach. She hadn't seen her mother and father for so long and as she looked out over grasslands she thought she could see someone waving to her. She shook her head.

"You're dreaming Mari Younger." She sighed and carried on with her sewing. She had been making a beautiful christening gown. It was white silk and had a beautiful white lace trim with a tiny flower embroiled on the chest. Mari had spent many afternoons on the veranda watching for Jim and sewing her baby's gown. She tied the final stitch and held up the dress. She smiled with pride and folded it neatly before wrapping it in brown paper and getting up to go to bed.

She yawned as she tucked the dress away in a drawer in the bedroom and changed into her nightdress and a dressing gown. Mari sighed and went to have a glass of water. As she stood by the window drinking her water she saw the same figure she'd seen before but it was closer now and coming up the hill. She panicked who would be out at this time of night, what if they'd found out about her involvement with the gang? Her chest tightened and she stumbled to the door and bolted it and struggled with the table to block the way. She ran and closed all the curtains and crouched in the corner by her bed gasping for breathe.

Then she heard a familiar voice.

"Mari" it called. Mari's stopped shaking and sat frozen in the corner. "Mari"

"Jim" She whispered and scrambled to her feet, rushed to the kitchen and moved the table. Jim stood on the other side of the door listening to the sound of furniture being moved and started to shiver, the wind was picking up and was like knives against his face. Finally the bolt on the door clicked and the door opened to reveal a beautiful Mari who broke down in tears as soon as she laid eyes on him.

"Oh god I missed you" She sobbed as she threw her arms around her husband.

"I missed you too." Jim smiled as he hugged Mari back.

"Goodness it's got cold quickly" Mari said shivering. "Come inside and warm up."

"I thought you'd never ask" Jim laughed.

He entered the little house and found a beautiful kitchen with a table and two chairs, and a fireplace with an armchair either side.

"Very cosy" Jim smiled as he sunk into one of the armchairs. He looked up and smiled at Mari.

"Come here" He smiled holding out his hand. Mari smiled and took Jim's hand before sitting on his lap.

"There'll be three of us sitting here soon." Mari smiled.

"Hey little feller, it's your pa." Jim smiled as he stroked Mari's stomach.

"Excuse me it'll be a little lady thank you" Mari laughed.

"Oh really how do you know?" Jim laughed tickling Mari's side.

"Mother's intuition" she laughed. Jim stopped tickling her and pulled her close.

"I wish things will always be like this." Mari sighed.

"They will, I promise" Jim smiled. "Now you need your rest and so do I if I'm gonna build us a decent farm." Mari slid off Jim's lap and bolted the door.

"Your right" she smiled as she led the way to the bedroom and snuggled up under the sheets. Jim pulled off his boots, shirt and pants (AN: I mean trousers but as it's American I guess I have to put "pants") and snuggled up behind his wife.

Mari woke to find the sun shining through the window onto her in the morning and a bunch of flowers lay on the chair on top of her dress.

A smile spread across her face as she slipped out of bed and picked up the flowers. She held them up to her face and took a deep breathe. They smelled so beautiful.

When she'd washed and dressed she went to the kitchen, Jim was no where to be seen, but Mari didn't have to look far Jim was outside in the field opposite the house, and he wasn't alone. There were four or five other men with him. Mari panicked and made her way over to the group. As she drew closer she could see it was Jesse, Frank, Bob, Cole and Tom.

"Well hello there Miss Younger," Bob smiled, and bowed. "I do believe you're a proper young lady now"

"Well what are you boys doing here, if Pinkerton finds you he'll have you hanged?" Mari said nervously.

"Well if you must know Miss Mari we've made a deal with Mr Pinkerton. He won't use our land if we stop harassing him and his men. And he won't be hanging us seeing as we found out some very secret information about him which I don't think he'll appreciate u spreading. Something about him killing several people" Bob sighed, and looked over at Jim.

"So Jim where will we be staying?" Cole smiled.

"You're staying here?" Mari gasped

"Yep lil Jim said we can stay here so long as we help to make this a nice little farm and then help run it." Frank smirked

"Jim there's no room in the house." Mari sighed

"I know that's why the first thing we'll be building is a house for the boys." Jim said putting his arm around his wife, "Don't you worry yourself about anything. We've got it all under control."

Mari sighed, there was only one thing that was nearly as bad as Jesses smiling, and that was Jim saying everything was under control.


	8. The Best Day Of Thier Lives

**A/N: **I REALLY AM RUNNING LOW ON IDEAS GUYS SO I'LL PROBABLY FINISH THIS SOON, BUT I MIGHT WRITE SOME OTHERS ON DIFFERENT FILMS.

Chapter 8: The Best Day of Their Lives.

Mari was sitting by the fireplace reading one of her books when she suddenly felt her stomach tighten. She pulled herself up and headed for the sink to get a glass of water, but as she raised the glass to her mouth another searing pain ripped through her stomach and the glass fell from her hand and shattered on the floor.

"Hey Jim you hear that?" Bob called putting down his hammer.

"Hear what?" Jim replied looking up from the piece of wood he was measuring.

"I heard a glass smash back up at the house." Bob said shading his eyes from the sun as he looked at Jim.

"Oh god" Jim muttered and threw his measure to the ground and ran to the house with Jesse and Cole close behind.

"Mari" Jesse called as he opened the front door and found Mari crouched on the floor in the kitchen.

"The baby's coming" She groaned and the boys' faces turned white.

"Cole you and Frank go to town and get a doctor. Jim help me get her on a chair." Jesse said after finding his voice.

"Righto Jesse" Cole smiled almost glad to leave.

He ran back outside and called Frank over to the horses and they rode off to the town leaving Bob standing in a cloud of dust oblivious to what was happening.

"Well howdy Bob" A soft voice said from behind the bewildered outlaw.

"Zee" He smiled turning round.

"Where are those two off to?" Zee asked as she jumped down from her horse.

"I have no idea; Jesse and Jim are up in the house with Mari. I think I'll come with ya I wanna know what's going on." Bob sighed throwing his hammer to the floor and tying Zee's horse up with the others before leading the way up to the house. As Zee and Bob entered the kitchen they found Jesse and Jim trying to lift Mari up off the kitchen floor and onto a chair.

"What the devils going on here?" Bob said almost panicking.

"The baby's coming" Jim said smiling slightly.

"Oh my goodness" Zee exclaimed, "Right Jim we need lots of old blankets and hot water." Mari slumped onto the chair breathing heavily and Jim ran to an old chest in the corner and threw it open and pulled out several sheets and stacked them on the table in front of Mari. Jesse and Jim filled a large pot with water and hung it in the fireplace over a glowing flame. Zee had sat herself down on another chair next to Mari and was rubbing her back and dabbing her forehead with a wet cloth. The only sounds that filled the small house for the next hour were the gently crackling of the fire and bubbling of the water, along with Mari's occasional gasps and groaning as her stomach tightened more and more often.

"Jesse is that water boiled yet?" Zee asked and as the words left her mouth the door flew open and in came Cole, Frank and Zee's father Doc Mims.

"Look who we found in town." Cole smiled, "We figured you'd prefer someone you know and trust."

"Well Mari, how long have you been in labour?" Doc Mims asked.

"About an hour" Jesse replied.

"Actually an hour and a half, you only came up when it got worse, but before then it was only little pains I didn't think it was anything to worry about." Mari gasped.

"Well then let's get you settled in the bedroom."

"All the sheets and towels are in the spare room" Jim said as Cole and Jesse helped Mari up and he led the way to the spare bedroom. Mari sank onto the bed with a deep sigh of almost relief which was interrupted by paralyzing shot of pain that ripped through her body and caused her to scream in agony.

"Zee get Mari into her nightdress she'll be more comfortable." Jesse said throwing Mari's nightdress over the room and the boys and Doc Mims left.

A few minutes later Zee called for her father and Doc Mims re-entered the room with Jim.

"I can see the baby's head." Zee smiled.

For the next half an hour Jesse, Frank, Bob and Cole waited anxiously in the kitchen and nervously checking that the water was still boiling.

After checking the water for the second time in as any minutes Cole began to pace the room impatiently and his face let everyone else in the room know that he was getting more worried by the minute. Then suddenly a loud crying filled the air and the boys breathed a sigh of relief as Jim came out holing his beautiful new born daughter wrapped in a thick blanket.

"JIM" Zee called and Jim handed his daughter to Jesse and ran back into the bedroom and closed the door IN Bob's face as he tried to follow him.

Another ten minute passed and then the more crying filled the air and Jim appeared from the bedroom with another blanket wrapped around another tiny baby, his newborn son.

"Twins" He stuttered before a huge grin spread cross his face as his daughter was handed back to him.


	9. I Promise

**AN: I've skipped forward again; the twins are now three years old and are called Joe and Elizabeth a.k.a Lizzy**

Mari smiled as her beautiful daughter played in the shade behind the barn. The farm was beautiful now and since Lizzy and Joe had been born Jim and the boys had worked like mad to build the barn, stables, and a house for Jesse and Zee who was now also expecting a baby of her own any day. Bob, Cole and Frank shared a house in between, it had three bedrooms but it had the smallest lounge and dining room.

Everything was perfect, money was no object as the boys still had some money from their outlaw days stashed under the floorboards of Mari and Jim's house. They had there own little village. They had begun growing their own food, harvesting it, and selling it to the people in the nearby town for reasonable prices. But most importantly no one knew they were the members of the famous James-Younger gang, the people of the village weren't in the way of the railroad, and in fact the railroad couldn't be further away. It seemed like a lifetime ago when Mari had lost her friends to the war and then run away from home to join them after saving Jim.

Jesse and Frank were trying to help one of the lambs to suckle from it's mother but the ewe was refusing to stand still because of a small boy whose hands were waving madly in front of her face as her tried to grab her and hold her still.

Joe was trying to help his father and uncles with the lambing but was so far only getting in the way. Mari laughed and looked over at Zee, she was sitting on the veranda next to Mari but she hadn't spoken in at least half an hour.

"Zee are you alright" Mari asked putting her hand on Zee's shoulder.

"Yeh I'm fine it's just I can't help but think that any day this could all go wrong."

"What are talking about?" Mari frowned.

"What if someone finds us all? What if Jesse and the boys are taken to prison? What if you and I have to raise our children alone and then explain to them that their fathers and uncles are here because they were murderers? Mari I can't lose Jesse and you can't lose Jim. We have to do something to stop that happening Mari, we've all worked for this and no one is taking that away from us, no one."

"Zee nothing is going to go wrong?" Mari smiled and took Zee's hand. "We are all going to be fine I promise."

"How can you promise me that?"

"Because I need to believe it myself" Mari sighed and called Joe away from the sheep stall.

"They won' let me help." Joe frowned as he climbed up the steps to the veranda and stood in front of his mother.

"Well why don't you help mummy and auntie Zee with lunch?" Joe nodded wildly as his mother and aunt stood up and he led the way into the kitchen.

Lizzy soon joined them and insisted on helping too. When Jim and the other men came up to the house the table had been laid beautifully by Zee, and in the middle were sandwiches and homemade biscuits, fresh from the oven. The sandwiches had clearly been made by Joe and Lizzy, they were all different shapes and sizes and the fillings were spilling out the sides.

"Well now, don't these sandwiches look fit for the king" Bob smiled, as he lifted little Joe onto his lap.

"Lizzy and I made them Uncle Bob" Joe smiled.

"Did you now," Cole laughed as he sat down and pulled Lizzy on his lap.

"Well I think that you two might be allowed to help feed the lambs later on as a reward for your hard work." Mari smiled and sat down between Jim and Zee. There wasn't a happier sight than that of the beautiful family gathered round the table laughing and joking without a care in the world.

When everyone had finished Mari and Zee were washing the plates and watching the twins out the window as they stood holding the lambs beside the ewes as they suckled on the tasty milk.

As night fell, Jesse and Zee returned to their little house and Bob, Cole and Frank returned to theirs, leaving Mari, Jim and the twins sitting happily beside the fire. Joe and Lizzy were playing with Lizzy's doll and Joe's cowboy puppet. Jim sat opposite Mari and was staring at her as she was mending a hole in his jacket.

Her hair was getting lighter now because of the summer sun and her face was slightly tanned from working with the horses. He smiled to himself as he remembered the day he and Mari had first met, sixteen years ago. They had been three years old when Mari and her parents had moved to Liberty. Jim and his brothers were out playing with Jesse and Frank when Jim had spotted the pretty little blonde girl watching them from her window. She watched them for several days before joining them on afternoon when they were sword fighting with sticks. Mari had become their princess and whoever won was to ride of and marry her.

Mari smiled as she stitched the hole in Jim's jacket, she too was thinking about when she was younger but not of the day her and Jim had met but of her tenth birthday when Jim had asked his mother to help him make her a doll. Mari finished her sewing and wandered to the bedroom; she hung the jacket up in the wardrobe and frowned as she spotted a lumpy looking cloth in the corner. She bent down and reached out and picked it up and her face glowed as she looked upon her little doll Jim had made. She sat it on her dresser and returned to the lounge and ushered her children to bed. Jim retired to bed as his young wife tucked their children into bed and kissed them goodnight. As he pulled off his dusty shirt he heard Mari singing sweetly to the twins. It was a song his mother had sung to him when she was alive. He had sung it to Mari the night that Jesse, Cole, Frank, Webb, Bob and the other boys had gone off to war. He sighed to himself as he sat on the bed and mimed the words to himself.

_Dream your way to the stars in the sky,_

_You and me, me and you on our ay to the top,_

_Spread your wings, we can fly to the stars in the sky,_

_To the left to the moon is the star on the right, _

_And I can meet you, I can meet you, I can meet you,_

_The second star to the right, _

_Shines in the night for you,_

_To tell you that the dreams you plan,_

_Really can come true,_

_The second star to the right,_

_Shines with a light that's rare_

_And if it's never land you need,_

_Its light will lead you there. _

_Twinkle, Twinkle, little star, _

_So I'll know where you are,_

_Gleaming in the skies above ohhh,_

_Lead me to the land I dreamed of, _

_And when our journey is through, _

_Each time we say good night, _

_We'll think the little star that shines,_

_The second star from the right_

_The second star, the second star, _

_Dream me away to the stars never stop,_

_You and me, me and you, on our way to the top_

_Twinkle, Twinkle, little star, _

_So I'll know where you are,_

_Gleaming in the skies above ohhh,_

_Lead me to the land I dreamed of, _

_And when our journey is through, _

_Each time we say good night, _

_We'll think the little star that shines,_

_The second star from the right_

_The second star, the second star, _

_Every time you need it's light, it'll be there,_

_To show the dreams you pan can come true_

**AN: I know it's a bit of a boring chapter but I don't want to go straight back into action but I guarantee some more is on its way. **

**The song at the end isn't by me it's by Jesse McCartney and I have changed it slightly. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW, if there's anything you really want to happen let me know and I'll try to fit it in. x x x x x x **


	10. Make the most of things

**All We Can Do Is Make The Most Of Things**

**AN: I had an email asking where Tom went, I completely forgot to add in chapter nine were he'd disappeared to but I'm letting you know now that Tom has moved back to his homeland and won't be in this story. **

As the golden sun rose over the deserted plains of Jamestown, the streets were silent and other than the occasional hungry lamb or calf crying on the James-Younger farm it was silent there too. Mari and Jim lay asleep in each others arms without a care in the world and dreaming sweet, sweet dreams of the years to come. The twins were both asleep too and dreaming of toys and game.

Bob, Cole, and Frank were asleep in their rooms and were dreaming of pretty girls and whiskey. Jesse lay dreaming of his life before the war on the railroad and of his mother, and finally Zee. She was turning in her sleep and breaking into a cold sweat; she was screwing up her eyes and moaning as her nightmare worsened.

"JESSE" she was shouting, and struggling to break free from Pinkerton's grip. The boys had been captured and Mari too, the twins were being looked after by Mari's parents and Zee was still pregnant with her own baby and was desperately trying to save it's father.

"I love you Zee" Jesse smiled and looked up to the sky, "I'm coming home ma" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the lever was pulled and Jesse James didn't even struggle as his body was slowly starved of air.

Zee screamed and sat up in her bed. Her body was dripping in cold sweat as she pulled back the sheets and went to the kitchen. She splashed some water on her face and dabbed a cloth on her face to dry it.

She sighed to herself and stroked her stomach. Maybe it was the pregnancy causing her to worry so much, it would be over soon her baby was due within the next few days and then she wouldn't sleep because of her screaming child and not nightmares. She smiled as she remembered helping Mari with the twins when Jim was working on the farm. Soon Mari would be helping her. She looked out the window and spotted a shadow at the window of Mari and Jim's house. The shadow turned and disappeared but Zee new it was Mari.

"Zee what's up?" a voice asked form behind her, Zee gasped and spun round.

"Oh god you scared me." She sighed as she saw Jesse pulling on his shirt.

"I'm fine I was thirsty that's all" Zee smiled and headed for the washroom.

"I'm going to have a wash and then Mari and I are going get some things from town."

"Alright but don't you go wearing yourself out. Remember what your father said, plenty of rest." Jesse smiled and hugged his wife.

"I know" Zee sighed and pulled away from Jesse and closed the washroom door behind her.

Jesse sighed and headed out the house to the barn. His brother, Cole and Bob were already feeding the cattle and sheep, and Jim as just coming out the house when Jesse got to the barn.

"Morning cousin" Jesse smiled.

"Hey Jesse, how's Zee?" Jim said returning the simile.

"She's not sleeping well; I think she's having nightmares." Jesse sighed.

"She'll be ok Jesse the baby's due soon so if it is the pregnancy they'll stop soon." Jim smiled reassuringly.

"And if it's not the pregnancy"

"Then we'll all help you in every way possible" And they set out to finish the feeding of the animals.

Mari was dressing the twins when Zee arrived and broke down in tears.

"Mari the dreams are getting worse I actually saw Jesse being hung, I watched him die" She sobbed as she cried in Mari's arms.

"Zee it's going to be fine it's the stress from the pregnancy it'll over soon."

"It's not Mari I'm going mad. What am I going to do if Jesse dies, if Jesse and the boys are captured?"

"I don't know Zee, we just have to hope for the best and if the worst comes then we'll have to deal with it the only way we can"

"How?"

"By making the most of what time we spend together and don't waste it" Zee nodded as Mari hugged her tight.

"It'll be alright I promise."


	11. Nightmares Come True

**A Nightmare Come True**

Mari and Zee were grooming the horses when Zee's contractions started and Jesse carried her back up to their house. Cole rode to Liberty to fetch Doc Mims and after three agonizing hours Zee gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Alice. She and Jesse sat on the bed holding their daughter and smiling from ear to ear.

Jim had been keeping the twins occupied out in the barn by getting them to help clean the horse tack. They had just finished when Mari popped her head round the barn door.

"I hope you two are behaving your selves" She smiled as she hugged her daughter.

"We are, what's wrong with auntie Zee mummy?" Lizzy asked.

"She's had a baby" Mari smiled.

"Is it a girl or a boy?" Joe smiled.

"It's a little girl."

"Can we see her?" Joe shouted.

"Well ask daddy first"

"Please can we go and see her daddy?" Lizzy begged as she pulled on her dad's hand.

"I suppose so" Jim smiled as he picked up his daughter and carried her out the barn over his shoulder. Joe after his dad laughing as his sister.

"Right you have to be quiet now" Jim said as he put Lizzy down on the porch. The twins nodded and put their fingers to their lips.

"Shhhh"

"Come on then" Smiled Jim as he led the way into the house.

"Hey Cole how's Zee doin'?" Jim smiled as his brother came out the bedroom.

"She's doin' ok and so's lil' Alice May." Cole smiled.

"I take it you two monkeys wanna see your new friend" Frank said as he took his feet down off the table.

"Yes please" Joe smiled.

"Go on through kids, but keep the noise down"

Joe and Lizzy went into the bedroom and each held the new baby.

That night Zee slept soundly for the first time in months. Alice May woke only once but went back to sleep after a lullaby from Jesse. The next morning Zee awoke to the sweet smell of the summer air, Jesse had opened the bedroom window slightly and the gentle breeze made Zee's skin tingle with happiness.

"Now everything will be ok" She smiled and went to wash and dress.

Mari and Zee decided to pay Mari's parents a visit and to go to then store in town and get some material for clothes and thread.

"Mari I really appreciate your help" Zee sighed as she and Mari walked back to the farm from the town.

"I've already told you Zee you've been there for me and now I'm returning the favor." As they reached the top of the hill where the farm sat they were met by an eerie silence.

"Their probably in the barn." Mari sighed and headed for Zee's house. "We'd best get this lot put away first and then I'll start on supper. Zee what's wrong?"

"I can't hear them" Zee said almost panicking.

"Zee come on your tired"

"Your right sorry" She sighed and followed Mari into her house and they put all the food away in the larder.

"I'll be back soon alright, why don't you have a sleep with Alice while I'm gone?" Mari smiled as she and the twins left for their house and to put their food away. Zee wandered to the bedroom and curled up on her bed with baby and slowly drifted to sleep.

"Mummy can we go find daddy?" Lizzy called.

"Not just yet I want you to help me put this away first then you can play until suppers ready and maybe for a little bit afterwards." Mari sighed as she started to put the food away. "Can you pass me a few things please?" She said as she put the bottle of whiskey on the top shelf of the twins' reach.

Soon Joe and Lizzy were running to the barn to find their dad.

"Daddy" Lizzy called as she and Joe pushed the heavy barn door open.

But their ears were met only by the calls of lambs to their mothers and the horses' munching their oats.

"Daddy we've come to help." Joe called. "Daddy why are you hiding?"

Mari was watching from the porch, she had started on a new dress for Lizzy as hers was getting to small.

"Mummy, Daddy's not there" Joe called as he struggled up the porch steps.

"Are the horses there?" Mari asked without looking up from her sewing.

"Yes but Uncle Cole and Daddy aren't"

"What?" Mari said and put her sewing on the chair next to her and running to the bedroom, she unlocked the trunk in the corner, the one in which she and Jim hid their guns and ammunition from their outlaw days.

"Joe stay inside please" Mari said as she slipped several bullets into a gun and hid it in the belt of her dress. She locked the trunk again and went to leave the house.

"Why?"

"Just do it please, I'll send Lizzy up in a minute and I want you to both stay in the house alright?" Joe nodded and ran inside.

"Lizzy come here sweetheart" Mari called as she reached the barn.

"What's wrong mummy?" The little girl asked.

"Nothing sweetheart I just want you to go to the house and stay with Joe please"

"Ok" Lizzy smiled and ran off to the house.

Mari opened the barn door and pulled out the gun.

"Boys it's Mari" She called but there was no reply. She wandered to the back of the barn and made her way back to the front checking the stables, and pens as she went but there was no sign of her husbands and his family. Then as she went to leave the barn she spotted several footsteps in the dirt, they led behind the hay bales in the corner and she cautiously approached them with her finger on the trigger of her gun.

"Hello," She called as she heard moaning form behind the bales as she looked around the bales and there on the floor lay a man in a dark suit, clutching his chest with a bloody hand.

"You're a pinkerton detective" Mari gasped. The man nodded and his hand slipped down form his chest as the life slipped form his body.

**AN: This really is nearly the end but there's a couple more things I want to happen before it doe so keep reading and keep reviewing.**


	12. On For All And All For One

**All For One & One For All**

Mari heart raced, Pinkerton detectives could mean only one thing, Zee's nightmares had come true, the James-Younger gang had been arrested and that meant one thing.

They would be hung.

A tearful woman emerged from the barn she ran towards the house where her two children watched form the window. She ran to the bedroom and opened the chest in the corner again. She rummaged through the belts and pistols and found what she was looking for. A pair of pants, a shirt and braces, boots, and finally a hat and coat, she threw the items on the bed and pulled her dress of her body and dressed herself in the clothes she worn when she joined the gang.

She then fastened a belt around her waist and sat two pistols in the holders on either side of hr hips.

"Lizzy, Joe come with me." She said as she pulled on her hat and coat and left the house.

Lizzy closed the front door behind her and ran after her mother and brother.

"Listen to me, I want you to go in Auntie Zee's house and be very quiet because she's asleep alright. If she wakes up and asks where I've gone, tell her I said that …" She couldn't think what to say, how do you tell a woman that her husband, and his family have been arrested and unless she could get there in time, they'd all be dead?

"Tell her I said it'll be ok and I'll deal with it." Mari sighed and hugged her two children.

"I love you both so very, very much" She whispered and kissed them both on the forehead.

"Be good for auntie Zee while I'm gone" And with that she lead them up to the house and closed the door behind them and ran to the stables.

She untied her horse and threw it's saddle over it's back and fastened the girth, and then fastened it' bridle around it's head and pulled herself onto it's back.

She turned her horse around and galloped of towards her hometown Liberty and maybe even her death. She trotted into the town and saw Jesse, Frank, Jim, Cole and Bob lined up on the platform.

Bob was nearest the end where Mari was and a smile spread across his face as he spotted her.

Mari winked at him as a sign that she was there too help before she began looking around for a weakness in Pinkerton's forces, and then she spotted it.

"Bingo" She smirked and jumped down from her horse alongside several other which she guessed belonged to stagecoach which Pinkerton and the others had travelled in.

She took out a stick of dynamite from her coat pocket and lit the fuse with a match before throwing it with all her might to the stand where Thaddeus Reins sat along with Alan Pinkerton sat with wicked grins on their faces.

In a huge explosion from the dynamite they were blown back to hell and in the smoke and confusion she ran to the platform and cut the ropes binding the boys' hands and feet. The dust had started to clear and Mari knew they didn't have much time, as she untied each of the boys they ran to where they'd seen her tie her horse and galloped off from the town.

"Jim get going I'll catch up" Mari said as she kissed her husbands check and ran to untie Frank.

"Boy am I glad to see you" Frank smiled as Mari untied him and followed Jim. Mari turned to run but as she did several men ran at her.

"Now for the fun part" she smiled and whipped her guns out from under her jacket and began shooting the men surrounding her. She slowly backed towards her horse as she continued to fire her guns. As the last man fell to the floor Mari climbed on her horse and galloped off after her friends and back to her home.

As her horse skidded to a halt in the yard back at the farm she saw the boys waiting for her, Mari jumped down form her horse and looked at each of them.

"Mari Younger I'd never thought I'd say this but I'm damn glad you joined the gang," Frank smiled and hugged his cousin's wife.

"Where's Zee?" Jesse asked as he hugged Mari too.

"She's inside with the children; she doesn't even know you were gone and I don't think she should know. She'd been having nightmares about you lot getting caught."

"Then we don't tell her" Cole sighed. "No need to tell her now Thaddeus Reins is dead."

"And Pinkerton" Mari smiled. A great weight had been lifted form her heart, now that those two crooks were dead she felt she could relax a little, the danger still hadn't passed, she knew one day trouble would come again but she knew that the boys would be ready and so would she.

"Well boys let's leave Mari and Jim alone for a bit." Cole smiled and led the way to the house he shared with Frank and Bob, and Jesse disappeared to his house to see his wife and daughter.

"I can't believe you were stupid enough to come after us on your own." Jim sighed.

"Jim the boys are my family, Zee needs Jesse and I need you." Mari replied.

"I'm never gonna let anything split this family up Mari, I promise"

"I know you will" Mari said and as the evening sun set behind the dusty hills Mari and Jim kissed and made their way back to their house to carry on their lives with hope and joy now that Thaddeus Reins and Alan Pinkerton were out of their lives forever.

The James-Younger Gang remained on their farm for the rest of their lives.

Alice-May James grew into a fine young woman with a taste for adventure like her father; she Married at the age of twenty three and had two children Jessica and Harry. Lizzy Younger grew up to marry a young man from Liberty and had a son Luke. Joe Younger married a young lady from Jamestown and had three children George, Jack, and Bella.

Jesse James lived to the grand age of seventy eight and died at home on his farm with his family around him. Zee James died shortly after her husband at the age of eighty.

Cole Younger married a woman form Liberty and had two children, Alice and Leah. He died before Jesse at home on the farm at the age of seventy two. His wife died at the age of seventy three.

Frank James married a woman from Jamestown and had one daughter Helen. He died at the age of eighty one and his wife died at eighty.

Bob Younger finally got his wish and became a hit with the ladies, but he only had eyes for one who he married when he was thirty eight. He died at the age of sixty five and his wife sixty eight, they had one son Alex.

Marietta Younger lived to the age of eighty six, he beloved husband Jim lived for three more years and died when he was eighty nine. He was the last of the James-Younger Gang to die and was buried along side his family in the woods near the farm were they finally found peace from the railroad and lived in happiness.

To all the heroes who have fallen in battle, for all who fight and die for what they believe your names may not be remembered after you are gone but yours sprits live on and you are the greatest heroes of them all, because you brought freedom for those you protect.

THE END

-x-


End file.
